Warp stop-motion for looms.



No. 784,920. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905. 0. E. CHASE} WARP STOP MOTION FORLOOMS. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 18, 1904.

ZSHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 784,920.- PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

' 0. B. CHASE.

WARP STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS. APPLICATION IILED 001'. 1a, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. CHASE, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPERCOMPANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSAOHUSETITS, A CORPO- RATION OF MAINE.

WARP STOP-MOTION FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,920, dated March14, 1905.

Application filed October 18, 1904. Serial No. 228,967.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, OHARL as E. OHAsn,a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Hopedale, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts.have invented an Improvement in arp Stop-Motions for Looms, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings,isaspecification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to warp-stop-motion mechanism for looms; and ithas for one of itsobjects the production of novel detecting meansconstructed and arranged to effect promptly the stoppage of the loomupon detection of a warp fault.

Another object of the invention-is the production of means to enable theweaver to quickly ascertain the location of the faulty warp-thread, amatter of very considerable importance in saving time and particularlyvaluable in the ease of a broad loom.

Another object of the invention is the prod uction ofmeans whereby thestop-motion can be readily adapted for use either when weaving withslack warps or with relatively taut warps, it being at times desirableto avoid unnecessary stoppage of the loom from slack threads, while atother times it is desirable to detect slack warps, as well as thosewhich break or run out.

I have also provided novel means for releasing automatically anabnormally positioned detector from the strain of the feeler, so thatthe weaver can readily correct the faultand restore such detector tonormal position.

These and other novel features of my invention will be fully describedin the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in thefollowing claims.

My invention relates to that class of stopmotion apparatus wherein eachwarp-thread is provided with a detector normally maintained inoperativeby the warp-thread, and the detectors are so arranged that in theformation'of the shed the warp-threads impart vertical reciprocation tothe detectors, preventing them from sticking together or actingsluggishly. Such class of stop-motion apparatus is technically known asa singlethread stop-motion, and the detectors form no part of theshed-forming devices in the embodiment of my invention herein shown.

Figure l is a left-hand side elevation of a sufficient portion of a loomto be understood with one embodiment of my present invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the stop-motionmechanism illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail of a clutch deviceon the feeler rockshaft to be referred to; and Fig. Ais an enlargedtrans verse sectional detail on the line 4 4:, Fig. 2, looking towardthe left.

Referring to Fig. 1, the loom side A, lay A breast-beam A, having anotched holding-plate A for the shipper H fulcrumed at If and having acontrolling-spring S, the knock-ofi arm h, fulerumed on the loom sidebelow the plate A and adapted to be actuated by the usual frog (notshown) when the protector mechanism operates, and the camshaft C may beand are all of well-known or usual construction.

1 have located the warp-stop-motion-eon trolling detectors 1 back of theharnesses M M (see Fig. 1) and near enough thereto to enable thewarp-threadsto impart vertical reciprocation to such detectors as theshed is changed, the detectors being for convenience preferably dividedinto two parallel banks, each warp-thread cooperating with a detector.

As best shown in Fig. 4, each detector is made of a thin flat metalstrip (a well-known construction) having an enlongated slot 2 in itsupper end and a warp-eye 3 below the slot, flat supporting-bars at beingextended loosely through the slots and sustained at their ends onbrackets 5, secured to the loom sides.

A separator 6 extends between the two banks of detectors and is suitablyattached to the brackets, the latter having at their lower ends verticalshoulders 7, to which are secured back-stops 8, shown in Fig. at asangle-irons so placed that their horizontal flanges project toward eachother and somewhat below the lower ends of the detectors when theirwarpthreads are lowered.

It will be seen that there is sullicicnt clearance between the bottom ofthe separator 6 and each back-stop to permit a detector to descend intodotted-line position when released by failure or breakage of itswarp-thread, the end of such a released detector depending below theback stop, the downward movement being limited by the supporting-bar 4,as will be obvious. Rods 9, sustained in the brackets 5, serve aswarp-rests and are located at the back and front of the two banks ofdetectors, respectively.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the brackets are secured tothe loom sides at their upper and lower ends, being bolted to stands 10and 10 thereby leaving an open space for the lay-pitman A, Fig. 1, whilerigidly supporting the brackets and the parts sustained thereby. Arock-shaft 11 is supported in suitable bearings in the lower ends of thebrackets and has fast upon it arms 12, which carry the feeler formed bya longitudinal bar 13, secured to the ends of said arms and havingfeeling edges 1 1, the feeler vibrating below the separator 6 and theback-stops 8 when the rock-shaftis oscillated. One of the edges 14: isadapted to ei'igage a released detector in the front bank when thefeeler is swung to the left, Fig. 4, while the other edge 14 engages areleased detector in the rear bank on the opposite stroke of the feeler,arrest on either stroke causing the actuation of the stopping means forthe loom, as will be described. A collar 15, loose on the shaft andhaving an attached arm 16, has secured to it one end of a spring 17,Fig. 2, coiled around the shaft and secured at its other end to aninclosing sleeve 18, fixedly attached to the shaft, the spring forming ayielding connection between the shaft and the collar. On its inner facethe collar has a lug 19, Figs. 2 and 3, which at times cooperates with alug 20 on an adjacent collar 21, fast on the rock-shaft. Rotation of thecollar 15 in the direction of the arrow 22, Fig. 4:, turns therock-shaft by or through the spring 17 and not through the lugs, so thatif the shaft is stopped, as by arrest of the feeler, the collar 15 cancontinue to turn through its full arc of movement, the lugs 19 and 20then separating. The lugs are so set angularly that when the collar 15is turned opposite the direction of the arrow 22, Fig. 1, its lug willengage the lug 20 and turn the collar 21 and rock-shaft therewith. Atransmitting member or link 23 is pivotally connected at its upper endwith the arm 16 and at its lower end with a follower 2 1, Fig. 1, havingafixed fulcrum 25 and cooperating with a feeler-cam C on the cam-shaft Oa spring a connected with the follower, maintaining it normally incooperation with the cam.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the backward stroke of thefeeler is due to the spring a vhile its opposite or forward stroke iseffected by the cam C, the link 23 rising on the cam-induced stroke anddescendingon the spring-induced stroke. If on its forward stroke thefeeler engages and is arrested by a released detector in the front bank,the rockshaft 11 will of course be stopped with the feeler; but thetransmitting-link 23 continues to rise, and the spring 17 yields topermit such rise and corresponding angular movement of the collar 15after stoppage of the shaft. 011 the other hand, when the spring s islowering the link 23 the lug 19 is then in engagement with the lug 20 onthe collar 21 and the rock-shaft is turned rearwardly; but if on suchrearward stroke of the feeler it engages and is arrested by a releaseddetector in the rear bank the spring a will be held stretched and theouter end of the follower 2 L will be kept away from the cam. It willthus be seen that upon feeler arrest on one stroke the yieldingconnection formed by spring 17 comes into play, while arrest on theopposite stroke of the feeler is accommodated and provided for by thespring 8X.

An elongated and outwardly-bent arm 26 (clearly shown in Fig. 2) isfixedly attached to the feeler rock-shaft 11 and is pivotall y connectedwith one end of a link 27, which is carried forward adjacent the innerface of the loom side A to an arm 28, rigidly secured to a shorthorizontal rock-shaft 29, mounted in an elongated bearing 30, formingpart of a bracket 31, secured to the front of the loom side.

At the outer end of the bearing 30 the rockshaft 29 has arigidly-attached and rearwardlyextended arm 32, longitudinally slottedat 33 to receive a short loop-like link 34, pivotally connected aboveits fulcrum with a dog 35, fulcrumed at 36 on the lower end of theknockofi lever /1, the dog when in operative position being adapted toengage a bunter e on the lay. When the dog is so positioned as to engagewith the bunter, the lay as it heats up will push forward said dog, andthereby rock the knock-off lever on its fulcrum it to release theshipper from its holding-notch to stop the loom.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the rock-shaft 29 is parallelto the feeler rockshaft and that the arms 26 and 28 are in substantialparallelism, so that they swing back and forth in unison, theoscillation of the feeler rock-shaft effecting the correspondingoscillation of the short shaft 29. By means of the loop-like link 34 thedog 35 is moved into and out of the bunter-path at each stroke of thefeeler, and unless the feeler is arrested the dog will be out of thefeeler-path on each forward beat of the lay. Upon arrest of the feeler,however, the connections between it and the dog operate to position thedog in the path of the bunter to cooperate therewith and effect releaseof the shipper, as has been described. The slot 32 affords the properclearance for the rocking movement of the knockoff lever at the time ofshipper-release.

It is very desirable to free the arresting-detector from feeler-pressureas soon as possible after the actuation of the stopping means has beeneffected, to thereby leave such detector free to be returned to properposition by the weaver after the warp fault has been corrected and alsoto avoid any unnecessarycontinuance of the feeler-pressure on thedetector. I have provided means herein to efl'ect such operation byautomatically centralizing the feeler upon actuation of the stoppingmeans. To this end the lower end of the bracket 31 is provided with abearing 37, Fig. 1, in which is mounted a rock-shaft 38, having attachedto it a centering-cam 39 and a controller 40, the latter normallybearing against the edge of the shipper, as shown in Fig. 2, and therebymaintaining the centering-cam in normal position, as shown in saidfigure. This centering-cam is made as an open casting having a centrallocking-depression 41 and converging cam-faces 42 43 above and below thedepression, respectively. A spring S fixedly secured to the loom-frameat one end, is connected at its other end with an arm 44, (see dottedlines, Fig. 2,) forming a part of the controller 40, the spring holdingthe controller against the shipper and acting to throw the cam 39 to theright, viewing Fig. 2, when the shipper is released. A finger 45, faston the rock-shaft 29, extends through the opening in the cam, and as therock-shaft oscillates the finger vibrates in a vertical plane;

. but when the shipper is released it frees the controller 40 andpermits the spring S to throw the cam to the right, so that one or theother of the faces 42 or 43 will engage the finger and direct it in tothe locking depression 41. WVhen the finger is so located, the feelerwill be in central position and retracted from whichever one of thedetectors it had previously engaged. hen the shipper is returned torunning position, it acts through the controller 40 to rock the shaft 48and automatically return the centering-cam to the position shown in Fig.2. Of course when the feeler is centered, as has been described, theweaver can lift the arresting-detector after piecing up or otherwisecorrecting the faulty warp.

It is a matter of considerable convenience to be able to determinequickly the cause of loom stoppage and, if such stoppage is due to awarp fault, to readily locate the bank of detectors in which lies thearresting-detector, and I have provided means whereby this may be easilyaccomplished. The cam 39 is provided with an upturned handle 46, and thepin 45 has a lateral handle 47. When the loom is stopped, the fingerwill be in the locking-depression 41 of the cam, and the weaver graspsthe handle 46 and throws the cam into its normal position, therebyfreeing the finger 45. He now by means of the handle 47 vibrates thefinger, and if it can vibrate freely the weaver knows that stoppage isnot due to a warp fault. On the other hand, if stoppage is due to a warpfault the movement of the finger will be arrested either on its upwardor its downward stroke, according to which bank of detectors containsthe one which arrests the feeler. If the arresting-detector is in therear bank, the finger cannot be fully raised,whereas its downwardmovement will be restricted if the released detector is in the frontbank. This indicating device is of great value on a broad loom becauseof the great number of detectors employed, for it saves the weaver muchtime if he can tell instantly whether or not stoppage is due to warpfailure and, if it is, where the arresting or released detector islocated, whether in the front or the rear bank.

In the construction herein shown the feeling stroke of the feeler iseffected when the detector is lifted by the movement of its warp-threadin the upper plane of the shed, as will be manifest from an inspectionof Fig. 1, the slot 2 in each detector being of ample length to permitthe dropping of a released detector into proper arresting position atsuch time. This is of value when it is desired to weave with slackWarp-threads, because slackness of the threads will not cause thedetectors to move into arresting position, and thereby cause unnecessarystoppages of the loom. If it is desired to alter the feeler-actionso-that it will feel when the detectors are depressed by movement oftheir warp-threads into the lower plane of the shed, it is onlynecessary to adjust the feeler-cam by giving it an angular rotation ofone hundred and eighty degrees on its shaft from the position shownherein.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction andarrangement herein shown and described, as the same may be modified orvaried in various particulars by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a loom, a series of stop-motion-controlling detectors maintainedinoperative by intact individual warp-threads, a feeler to cooperatewith and be arrested by a released detector, loom-stopping means adaptedto be actuated by or through arrest of the feeler, and means theoperation whereof is dependent upon the actuation of the stopping meansto free the arresting detector from feelerpressure.

2. In a loom, a series of stop-motion-controlling detectors maintainedinoperative by intact individual warp-threads, and reciprocatedvertically thereby during the formation of the shed, a vibratable feelerto cooperate with and be arrested by a released detector, loom-stoppingmeans adapted to be actuated IlO by or through such feeler arrest, andmeans operated by actuation of the stopping means to centralize thefeeler automatically and free the arresting-detector fromfeeler-pressure.

3. In a loom having harnesses to effect the formation of the shed, aseries of longitudinally-slotted stop-motion detectors located behindthe harnesses and each normally maintained inoperative by a singlewarp-thread, change of shed effecting reciprocatory movement of thedetectors, a vibratable feeler to engage and be arrested by a droppeddetector, loom-stopping means the actuation whereof is caused by orthrough feeler arrest, a centering-cam, connections between it and thefeeler, and means to operate said cam automatically upon the actuationof the stopping means, to centralize the feeler and free thearresting-detector from feeler-pressure.

4. In a loom provided with shed-forming devices and a shipper, incombination, a series of single thread warp sto p motion controllingdetectors, a vibrating feeler to cooperate with and be arrested by areleased detector, shipper releasing means actuated by or through arrestof the feeler, and means, including a member operated through release ofthe shipper, to withdraw the feeler from and thereby free thearresting-detector.

5. In aloom provided with shed-forming devices and a shipper, incombination, two banks of single-thread warp-stop-motion-controllingdetectors, a vibrating feeler to cooperate with and be arrested by areleased detector in either bank, shipper-releasing means actuated by orthrough arrest of the feeler, and feeler-centering means, including aspring-actuated member maintained inoperative by the shipper when inrunning position, to center the feeler and thereby free thearresting-detector from pressure.

6. In a loom provided with shed-forming devices and a shipper, incombination, two banks of single-th read warp-stop-motion-controllingdetectors, arranged in parallelism behind the shed-forming devices andvertically reciprocatcd by the warps in the formation of the shed, avibrating feeler to engage and be arrested by a released detector ineither bank, shipper releasing means actuated by or through arrest ofthe feeler, and feeler-centering means, including a centering-cam, anoperating-spring therefor, and a controller cooperating with the shipperto maintain the cam inoperative until release of the shipper, operationof the centering means causing the feeler to free the arrestingdetectorfrom pressure.

7. In a loom provided with stopping means, in combination, two banks ofstop-motion-controlling detectors each governed by a single warp-thread,a vibrating feeler to engage and be arrested by a released detector ineither bank, connections between the feeler and the stopping means toeffect the actuation of the latter by or through arrest of the former,and manually-operated means to indicate in which bank the releaseddetector is located.

8. In a loom provided with stopping means,

in combination, two banks of stop-motion-controlling detectors eachgoverned by a single warp-thread, a vibrating feeler to engage and bearrested by a released detector in either bank, connections between thefeeler and the stopping means to effect the actuation of the latter byor through arrest of the former, means rendered operative by actuationof the stopping means to centralize the feeler automatically and therebyfree the arresting-detector from feeler-pressure, and a manuallyoperateddevice acting through the centering means to indicate in which bank thearresting-detector is located.

9. In a loom, a lay having a bunter, a shipper, a knock-off levertherefor having a dog pivoted thereon to at times cooperate with thebunter, a vibrating feeler to engage and be arrested by a releaseddetector, two banks of stop-motion-controlling detectors each governedby a single warp-thread, connections, including a vibrating finger,between the feeler and dog to normally rock the latter out of thebunter-path, arrest of the feeler positioning the dog to be engaged bythe bunter, and feeler-centering means, including a springactuated cammaintained inoperative by the shipper when in running position,actuation of the cam upon shipper release causing the linger to centerthe feeler and thereby free the arresting-detector from feeler-pressure.

10. In a loom, a lay having a bun ter, a shipper, a knock-off levertherefor having a dog pivoted thereon to at times cooperate with thebunter, a vibrating feeler to engage and be arrested by a releaseddetector, two banks of stop-motion-controlling detectors each governedby a single Warp-thread, connections, including a vibrating finger,between the feeler and dog to normally rock the latter out of thebunter-path, arrest of the feeler positioning the dog to be engaged bythe bunter, and feeler-centering means, including a cam having alocking-depression, a spring to move the cam into cooperation with thefinger, to cause the latter to enter the depression and lock the feelerin mid-position, to thereby free the arresting-detector from pressure,and a controller fixedly connected with the cam, the shipper when inrunning position cooperating with the controller and thereby maintainingthe cam inoperative.

11. In a loom, a lay having a bunter, a shipper, a knock-off levertherefor having a dog pivoted thereon to at times cooperate with thebunter, a vibrating feeler to engage and be arrested by a releaseddetector, two banks of stop-motion-controlling detectors each governedby asingle warp-thread, connections, including a vibrating finger,between the feeler and dog to normally rock the latter out of thebunter-path, arrest of the feeler positioning the dog to be engaged bythe hunter, and means. to free the arresting detector fromfeeler-pressure, said means including a cam maintained inoperative bythe shipper when in running position and adapted when opera tive tocooperate with the finger and move it into position to center thefeeler, manual movement of said cam into inoperative position when theloom is at rest permitting vibration of the feeler to indicate in whichbank the released detector is located.

12. In a loom having a shipper, and a knockoff lever therefor, incombination, two banks of stop-motion-controlling detectors governed bysingle warp-threads and vertically reciprocated thereby in the formationof the shed, a feeler vibratable below said detectors and adapted to bearrested by engagement with a released detector of either bank, arock-shaft on which the feeler is mounted, a cam to turn the rock-shaftin one direction and a spring to turn it in the opposite direction, asingle transmitting member between the cam and spring and therock-shaft, a yielding connection between the latter and saidtransmitting member, angular adjustment of the cam causing the feeler tofeel when the warp-threads are in the upper or lower plane of the shed,as desired, and means to operate the knockoff lever upon arrest of thefeeler by a released detector.

13. In a loom, stopping means therefor, a rotatable shaft, and afeeler-carn thereon, combined with stop-motion-controlling detectorsgoverned by single warp-threads and vertically reciprocated thereby inthe formation of the shed, a feeler located below and adapted to engageand be arrested by a released detector, to thereby cause the actuationof the loom-stopping means, and connections between the feeler-cam andfceler to normally vibrate the latter, angular adjustment of the cam onthe rotatable shaft effecting the feeling stroke of the feeler when thewarp-threads are in the upper or the lower plane of the shed, asdesired.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. CHASE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE OTIS DRAPER, ERNEST WV. Woon.

